"I know you cheated me," she said, quietly. "You were in the exercise of
your profession, Captain Wragge. I expected it when I joined you. I made
no complaint at the time, and I make none now. If the money you took is
any recompense for all the trouble I have given you, you are heartily
welcome to it."
"Will you shake hands on that?" asked the captain, with an awkwardness
and hesitation strongly at variance with his customary ease of manner.
Magdalen gave him her hand. He wrung it hard. "You are a strange girl,"
he said, trying to speak lightly. "You have laid a hold on me that I
don't quite understand. I'm half uncomfortable at taking the money from
you now; and yet you don't want it, do you?" He hesitated. "I almost
wish," he said, "I had never met you on the Walls of York."
"It is too late to wish that, Captain Wragge. Say no more. You only
distress me--say no more. We have other subjects to talk about. What
were those words of caution which you had for my private ear?"
The captain took another turn in the room, and struggled back again into
his every-day character. He produced from his pocketbook Mrs. Lecount's
letter to her master, and handed it to Magdalen.
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